THE Local Authority have been told to be more “flexible” when it comes to the city’s tourism offering.
During a discussion on the draft Limerick Tourism Strategy last Monday, Fianna Fáil councillor and local publican Jerry O’Dea urged the Council to move away from a “9-to-5″ approach to tourism.
“Our tourism offering needs to be more flexible around opening hours of public buildings at weekends and public holidays. Limerick Museum, which only opens from 10am to 5pm Monday to Friday is a prime example,” he told members of Limerick City and County Council.
Cllr O’Dea took the view that the local authority should be more mindful of families and visiting tourists who would like to visit the city’s visitor attractions at weekends.
“The City Museum needs to be open on a Saturday and Sunday for those looking for something to do.”
He also proposed the idea of a duty marketing officer who would be available at weekends to provide content on social media platforms and collaborate with various media.
When discussing this document at the recent Economic Strategic Policy Committe (SPC), Cllr O’Dea proposed that the Council should collaborate with Sportinglimerick.ie to provide up to date content for the Limerick.ie website.
“After our All Ireland win, people said that content on Limerick.ie and Twitter feeds were particularly poor despite the success of the homecoming celebrations and ensuing business for rate-paying hospitality businesses,” he added.
Fine Gael councillor Marian Hurley agreed with Cllr O’Dea’s sentiments.
“We need to look at staggering opening hours. The City Museum is closed on Saturday and Sunday. It should be open weekends. Limerick City Gallery of Art is a gem in our community. It should be used a lot more,” she added.
